鈦合金作為目前最常見的人工關節材料擁有許多優良的機械及物理特性，但其實一直存在著潛在風險，因為長時間的植入會導致鈦合金釋放出Al、V離子，V離子對人體具有毒性，鈦合金摩擦性能較差，摩擦係數高、耐磨性小且鎖死的傾向相當高；且會因人體內本身的體液而導致腐蝕，造成鈦合金表面的破壞，且因需要不斷的接觸、磨耗，長時間下來若磨損嚴重會形成一些問題，使人工關節失效。
所以為了解決上述的兩項問題，我們決定在人工關節與骨頭上披覆一層表面塗層來改善； PMMA常常做為生物高分子保護塗層，強化鈦合金表面的抗腐蝕性，因此本研究透過二氧化矽（silica）顆粒強化聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯（Poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA）。為了避免團聚產生以及了解強化材對於材料之影響，使用溶膠－凝膠法製備 PMMA/SiO2複合材料。添加物的粒徑、含量、分佈皆會影響複合材料之機械性質，因此論文中將討論二氧化矽的添加含量與分散狀態對於整體材料之機械性能的影響，以實驗及有限元素分析作為研究，目的是更了解微結構細部的變化。
在溶膠-凝膠法中，二氧化矽顆粒透過前驅物四乙氧基矽烷（tetraethoxysilane, TEOS）生成，前驅物濃度、催化劑濃度、反應溫度與反應時間等改變皆會影響生成粒徑及分散度，我們基於田口方法的統計實驗優化程序下選出最佳的參數組合。
此外也明顯觀察到以溶膠－凝膠法製備 PMMA/SiO2 複合材料可以有效地解決添加物的團聚。二氧化矽顆粒的添加確實能提升彈性係數、抗拉強度，而應變則受顆粒粒徑、分散度、單位面積顆粒數影響。顆粒的分散度以 D0.2作為指標，利用沃羅諾伊圖（Voronoi diagram）將散佈的顆粒各自歸類為一個區域，假設分割之區域為常態分佈，計算其平均值 ±20% 所包含之面積，即為此範圍內尋獲顆粒之機率，當 D0.2數值越大代表著分散度越好。
實驗結果顯示複合材料最佳組別為TEOS濃度5 wt%、NH3(aq)為0.1 M，反應溫度及時間為60°C、180 min。藉由 OOF2 建立真實微結構的網格，將其導入有限元素分析軟體 Abaqus 中能夠了解微結構受拉伸時的變化，由應力分佈圖得知顆粒邊緣產生較小的應力，其與拉伸方向垂直，但多半也在基材與顆粒間產生較大的應力因而產生裂紋。
最後再透過實驗所得到的材料性質來預測理想中材料應該要有的性質， 因為在做模擬時需要以下的性質：彈性係數、抗拉強度、斷裂應變等，因此我們尋找出實驗所得數值之間的關係，並且預測在相近粒徑即100、150 nm 去建立理想中材料的模型，最後透過比較預測及模擬所得的性質間的誤差，即尋找材料性質與分散度之間的關係。

This study used PMMA/silica as the research material to avoid agglomeration and observe the effect of additives on the composite. The effect of silica addition on composites is discussed in conjunction with finite element analysis of the mechanical properties of the composites to better understand the changes in microstructural details. Silica particles are produced from the precursor TEOS. The agglomeration phenomenon can be improved by changing TEOS concentration, reaction temperature and reaction time, controlling PMMA particle size, changing catalyst concentration and adding coupling agent. For PMMA/silica and pure PMMA, the better the dispersion, the more Young's modulus and tensile strength can be improved, while the strain is affected by particle size, dispersion and the number of particles per unit area.
The experimental results show that the experimental parameters of 5wt%, NH3=0.1(M), TEMP:60, and TIME:180 are the optimal group. The mesh of the real microstructure was created by OOF2 and imported into the finite element analysis software SIMULIA Abaqus.
It can be seen from the stress distribution that the stress at the edge of the particles is small and perpendicular to the tensile direction, but higher stress is generated between the matrix and the particles, resulting in cracks. Compared with the experimental results, the errors in the simulated material mechanical properties are all within 15%.
Finally, the tensile properties obtained through experiments are used to predict the properties of the ideal material, and simulations are used to observe whether the structural changes and simulation results are similar to the predictions.

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